Burdens
by RivaMikaDailyDose
Summary: ONE- SHOT Rivamika / Rikasa / Levimika / RivaillexMikasa Levi is faced with his burdens and Mikasa finds him in a hopeless place.


Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

* * *

"Ah... Levi. It's been quite awhile." The middle aged man looked up at the Corporal with soft eyes.

"Yes... it has been, Mr. Ral." Levi replied back with his usual dull eyes and slightly smiled. "How's your wife?"

"We're managing... " The stiff atmosphere filled the space between them as they stood in the middle of the street. Even the people that were surrounding them, seemed to have disappeared within their conversation. Levi wasn't good at these type of situations, in this case, a situation that involved someone who you use to _remember _well. He clenched his jaw at the man's response. It felt like he was rubbing salt on an open wound. Though, he deserved it well and he knew it.

* * *

_'My daughter sent me this letter, you see.. she wrote she got the high honor to be of some use to you, Corporal, as her father, I uh... I was thinking it was probably too early fo me to insist she get married, you know... she's still too young and has the whole life ahead of her, so.. '_

* * *

"Corporal?" The man perked his eyebrow in confusion as the captain stood still, deep in thought.

"... Your daughter Mr. Ral," He paused, unsure of what he was about to say to him. "I had the honor of fighting beside her. I failed my duty as captain to look after my comrades and for that I sincerely apologize for putting you and your wife through that experience." Levi bent over and bowed his head to the man.

* * *

~Meanwhile~

Mikasa tightly wrapped her scarf around her neck and strided over to the streets within Wall Rose. She was always composed and withdrawn when it came to being around crowds of people. She didn't like to confide herself into conversations because of the uncomfortable atmosphere. She was fully aware of her personality and only included Eren and Armin within her circle. Though, being around Jean, Christa, Ymir, Connie, Sasha, and Reiner, she began to open up steadily. After entering the Scouting Legion, she learned how to form pacts with her comrades and found headquarters to be subtle. Except for one thing. She had been assigned to join Lance Corporal Levi's new special force team. It wasn't even a team in fact, it was more of a duo.

* * *

~Flashback~

_"Sir... You want me to join the Corporal's special force team? Why only me?"_

_"Mikasa, I'm sure you're fully aware of your unique fighting skills and high performance. It's a shame not to use your strength to help out the Survey Corps during special missions." The Commander took a sip of his tea and placed the cup back down before continuing. "This is a good chance for you to protect Eren as well."His blue eyes peeked up._

_"..Protect Eren.." Mikasa's lips twitched at the statement._

_"You see, you remind me of a certain person who has a strong sense of will. Though, both of your resolves are different, you guys carry the same sense of duty."__"Duty?" Mikasa's eyebrow perked up, not following through with the conversation._

_"The duty to protect. Whether it be the whole human race or a person you hold dear. That sense of duty is clear through your eyes and his. That is why, I, Erwin Smith, handpicked you to help cooperate and protect humanity."_

_"Humanity," Mikasa paused as her sharp brown eyes flickered towards his, "I don't care for it, but I will protect Eren even if I have to stain my hands with blood."_

_Erwin smirked at the girl's strong resolve. "We're delighted to have you on the team Ms. Ackerman."_

Mikasa creased her forehead in frustration as she walked aimlessly in the streets trying to find the short captain that she was now assigned to follow and train with. He had walked off without saying a word and left her standing in the middle of the streets. She looked right and left but helplessly couldn't track down where the captain was located at.

"Corporal, please lift your head." The man replied back in a wavering voice. His bleak eyes showed pain that remained even after the years that passed by.

Mikasa shifted her head to the side and noticed the man and Corporal standing together in between the flood of people that rushed through streets. She caught a glimpse of an expression from the captain that she has never seen before.

"Petra, she was always a timid child when it came to making friends and often spoke her mind at times. She had flaws just like any human out there but she also had her strengths as well. One of her strengths was being able to recognize the good side of people and accept the bad part of them as well. That child... she was always going out of her way to protect people. What I'm trying to say, Levi, to have you say those words, to me you're just pitying an old man whose lost a child." He placed his hand on his broad shoulder. "The happiest I've seen Petra was when she was able to be work with you. That my boy, is good enough for me so please don't worry yourself anymore."

_'Petra... Heichou's former comrade. There had been rumors that they would get married in the future but after the incident in the forest with Annie, she was found slaughtered against a tree. I remember.. that look in his eyes when we teamed up to save Eren. Those eyes belonged to a demon. Did my eyes look that way when I saw Annie take Eren away?' _Mikasa watched from the side and thought earnestly to herself. She noticed the Corporal's lips tremble as he forced a smile on. A tint of pain glinted in his eyes as he tried to put up a front in front of the old man. They shook hands before they both said their farewells and walked in opposite directions. Mikasa followed after Levi, just a few meters back as he made his way through the street before pausing in his stead.

"You shouldn't eavesdrop on people's conversation _Ackerman._" The corporal turned his body to Mikasa, face to face, just a few meters between them. His dull eyes returned back to normal and his blank expression remained.

"I'm just a by stander who caught a glimpse of a normal conversation between two people." She replied with a dreary voice, "and with all due respect sir, you abandoned your duty to inform me of your location. Being on the same team means not getting seperated." She added.

"What are you a little kid?" I don't need to supervise you Ackerman. And just because we're on the same team, I'm still your superior brat." He placed his hand on her head and shook it uncontrollably until her bangs were out of place.

"Come on, let's head back." He rested his arm back to his sides and contiuned on ahead.

Mikasa lifted her hand to her head and effortlessly placed her bangs back in place. She sighed slightly and adjusted her scarf around her neck until it was snug against her skin. She then followed the Corporal as they made their way back to headquarters.

* * *

"Mikasa! Did you buy me some food?" Sasha jumped up in excitement as Mikasa entered the girl's encampment.

Mikasa gazed at the overly eccentric, girl and shuffled through her bag to find a loaf of bread that she had purchased earlier from the city. She threw it in the air as Sasha quickly grasped it with her bare mouth. Sasha was like a puppy that she couldn't help but shelter close to her.

"Mikasa! How was the city?" Christa appreared from behind with a huge smile implated on her face. She always had an angelic aura around her that shined from within the barracks. All the guys couldn't help but to fall in love with her pretty face. Though, she was overly attached to Ymir.

"It was okay." Mikasa replied back in a dull tone and placed her bag down next to her bed. She noticed a white cloth sticking out from within the items that she purchased.

_'Ackerman, hold on to this for me for a second. Don't forget to give it back later'_

The Corporal's expressionless face appreared in her head as she remembered his words from before. She sighed heavily and grasped it into her hands before walking outside the barracks. The crisp air touched her bare face as she stepped outside into the chilly night. She lifted the red scarf over her mouth to guard herself from the cold air. She noticed a figure sitting by a tree, across from the main building of headquarters. She could barely see the face of the person and continued to edge closer.

_'Eren?' _She thought, tilting her head to the side.

The head whipped around as she discovered it was just the usual stoic captain that appeared before her. His expression was incomprehensible as always, except his appearance was slightly different. His chest was exposed as his collar shirt was unbuttoned at the top. His neck was bare and exposed to the cold air.

_'His cravat is...'_

"Don't you know the meaning of a curfew Ackerman?" Levi looked up in annoyance to her sudden presence.

"No." She replied. "Where's your cravat?" She pointed at his neck.

"I washed it, unlike you keeping that dirty cloth around your neck every day."

He looked down and placed his fingertips against his bare neck and chuckled softly. The dark shadow around his eyes surfaced, as if he was remembering something dark.

"Come."

Mikasa just stared at him without moving an inch. She wasn't sure what to do because she usually never conversed with the Corporal. Usually, they would direct sarcastic, rude comments towards each other but the aura around him felt different.

His dark eyes flickered, "That's an _order._"

She nodded and walked closer to him, trying to read the expression on his face. She stood over him as he sat there without saying a word for a long extended time.

"Sit. If you were planning to bother me, might as well listen to what I have to say." He grabbed her by the wrist and forced her body to fall down. Though, before she could fall flat on her back, he held on to her wrist so she could steady herself up right.

"Today.. You heard the conversation between me and the old man." He stated firmly.

She nodded.

"I'm sure you remember that incident in the forest with Annie. Well, before we left for the mission, Petra's father came up to me and asked me a simple request like he usually does before we leave on expeditions." He paused slightly before continuing. "What do you think he asked me?" His sharp blue eyes penetrated hers.

Mikasa stayed silent, unsure on what to answer at his sudden question. It wasn't like him to begin a conversation like this. Especially a personal one including his former comrades. If she was reading the aura right, something was off about the Corporal. His impassive attitude, sudden bluntness, and composed self wasn't showing in this situation. Somehow, it made her feel uncomfortable, as if it was a stranger whom she was speaking to.

"He said, _'please look after my stubborn daughter again Corporal' _and smiled at me, expecting me to fufill that selfish request." He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as he remembered the look on the old man's face. "How far can you go until your sanity is broken.. when I was an underground thug living for fights and money, I didn't worry about shitty brats or keeping promises. My mind was reflected only on the money and surviving. But he, he showed up-" He looked down as his dark, black hair covered his eyes. "Erwin found me and told me, 'I like the look in your eyes...How about you join the Survey Corps?' he extended his hand in front of me. That cravat I always wear, was the first thing he gave to me when I first entered. To me, it's a symbol of survival."

Mikasa felt the cold breeze shuffle through her hair as she sat there with her legs bent in front of her and her head resting on her knees. The scarf kept her neck warm and cozy from the night's air.

"... the responsibility of telling my own comrades' family that their kid was slaughtered by a Titan and that I failed to get them back home. Being familiar.. forming relationships...I abandoned being a human so I could wipe off every last Titan off the face of this planet yet, why-" His exasperated expression showed on his face as he punched the bark of the tree beside him. Blood trickled down his palm from clenching his fist to harshly.

Mikasa edged closer towards him as her expressionless face remained the same throughout his talking.

"Are you cold? She asked.

He just looked at her blankly at her sudden question which was unrelated to everything he was saying. "I suppose-"

Mikasa unwrapped her maroon scarf from her neck and looped it around his neck. He just stared at her, startled that she actually lent her scarf to someone. Especially towards him, whom she disliked the most. His hand stopped hers before she finished.

"Oi brat, I don't need your dirty scarf."

"It's warm isn't it?" Mikasa felt a nostalgic feeling stir in her heart as she remembered the time when Eren offered her his scarf to her when she was feeling cold.

"Tch." He replied as he narrowed his eyes and sat there unaware of the situation.

"... Heichou. From the moment I was born.. the world through my eyes was beautiful. I lived carefree, had good parents, and lived in the outskirts of the city. Though, one cold night like this, the world in my eyes became cruel as I saw the people I loved killed in front of me. I know that feeling, being powerless and not able to do anything except to live in regret. We don't know what will happen today, tomorrow, or in the future. We don't have the power to prevent anything bad from happening to us. All we can do is survive. So, don't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders alone." She pulled out the handkerchief and placed it in his palm, to stop the bleeding from seeping out. "You can depend on me. We are comrades fighting the same war. When you're shoulders suddenly become stiff, I'll be there to carry the weight for you. When it gets cold, I'll give you my scarf for warmth. So heichou, please don't ever make that face again because... you are the symbol of hope for everyone here."

He stared at her with wide eyes and felt something pound against his chest heavily. It was as if she chizzled down the ice that froze over his hollow heart. She sat there without an expression, as if she knew that he would feel uncomfortable if she showed any signs of emotions. She hated him yet understood him at the same time.

He swiftly grasped the back of her head and pulled her into his chest, without any thought. She began to struggle against him, not fully understanding what was happening.

"Just.. for awhile Ackerman." His voice sounded tormented as he breathed against the nape of her neck. He didn't want her to see his vulnerability.

"Is that an order?" She asked, staring blankly into the sky.

"That's a damn order."

She felt his body began to shake as hot droplets shot down against the bare of her neck. For a moment, she felt his numbness colliding against her. She felt a heavy weight rest on her shoulder. This. Him. Her. She couldn't understand any of it yet, she just sat there with nothing to say and felt the warmth of his body radiate.

"Ackerman. It feels warm." His voice tremble, yet stayed firm at the same time.

She tried to pull away, thinking that he was finished drying his tears though, his hands tightly clenched her shoulders.

"Don't look at me for right now... Please."

This time she didn't ask if it was an order. She just sat still and became a sheltering rock for him to rest his burdens on. She wasn't worried about what would happen tommorow when they would confront each other. She just remained unaffected by his sobbing and his tight grasp.

She noticed his hand on the ground and felt a sudden urge inside her. She couldn't understand the feeling but it felt right. She inched her hand closer and rested it on top of his. She grasped it tightly, feeling the coldness against her warm hand. It was as if there was no life or blood pumping through his veins.

"Do you know what you're doing brat?" His head rested on her shoulder, to keep her from looking at his face. His eyes were blood shot red from letting out all of his anger and pain.

"I don't need a reason. I told you when you are cold, I would keep you warm." She replied back plainly.

He felt something stir inside his heart and tried shaking off the feeling. He didn't move his hand, neither did she. For some reason, the only heat he could feel was mostly coming from his cheeks.

_'Damn brat... don't say that so casually' _he thought to himself before closing his eyes and resting his head on top of her shoulder.

"He's asleep... He finally stopped talking." Mikasa muttered under breath, finally relieved.

* * *

The next morning, Mikasa woke up to find her scarf neatly folded beside her bed and a note that held ink markings.

'_Your scarf smelled terrible, so I washed it for you brat. We're even.'_

_ -Levi_

**(THE END)**

**Hope you enjoyed the feels :D Please write a review on the one shot! Thanks! And be sure to leave an idea for a next prompt!**


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